“Our findings suggest that a balanced diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can be part of a comprehensive approach to enhance the prospect of recovery following damage to the nervous system,” said Dr. Marino De Leon, professor and senior author on the study. “Although much more work is needed to address this critical health problem, our findings illustrate that what you eat can be part of the solution.”

The study reports that this preventative nutritional intervention enriched in docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) prepares neural cells to respond to injury by modifying the cell membrane composition. In addition, the study shows that a diet enriched in omega-3 fatty acids favors the metabolism of protective lipids and promotes the expression of genes associated with cell survival and resiliency.

“Unfortunately, trauma to the brain and the spinal cord are common in contact sports, car accidents, and during military combat; and in most cases they are impossible to predict. Even minor impacts to the brain and the cord can be disabling as they can accumulate over time,” says Dr. De Leon.

LLU postdoctoral research specialist and the first author of the study, Dr. Johnny D. Figueroa, says the study identifies cellular targets important in the effects of nutritional omega-3 fatty acids in health and disease. “Because our bodies can’t produce DHA,” he says, “it must be acquired through the diet. Our study illustrates the therapeutic value of dietary omega-3 fatty acids, particularly in situations of anticipated damage to the nervous system. Importantly, we demonstrate for the first time the metabolomics lipids fingerprinting of the injured spinal cord after being subjected to a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.”

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseed, walnuts and salmon.

The findings were published on Jan. 10 in the “Journal of Neurotrama,” a leading peer-reviewed journal in the field of traumatic spinal cord and brain injuries. The study was co-authored by Kathia Cordero and Miguel S. Illan, both MD-PhD students at LLU School of Medicine. The research was supported by grants 5R25GM060507 and 1P20MD001632 from the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Nationâ€™s Largest Corporate Dairy Violates USDA Ruling, Acts as if itâ€™s above the Law

CORNUCOPIA, Wis.Â Â A prominent organic industry watchdog filed a formal legal complaint today alleging that a newly introduced product, by the giant dairy conglomerate Dean Foods, includes a synthetic nutritional oil that is prohibited in organics.Â The product, Horizon Fat-Free Milk Plus DHA Omega-3, bears the USDA organic seal despite a ruling in 2010 by the USDA that the proprietary DHA oil, an ingredient derived from algae, is not legal in organic production.

â€œThis is a willful and flagrant violation of the law governing organic foods,â€ states Mark A. Kastel, Codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group.

Federal law strictly prohibits synthetic additives in organic foods unless the additive appears on the USDAâ€™s National Organic Programâ€™s list of allowed substances.Â Ingredients are included on this list only after careful review and approval by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), an expert advisory panel, and the Secretary of Agriculture.

Synthetic materials on the list include benign substances like baking powder that are not available organically but important for commercial food production.

â€œThe specific type of laboratory-produced DHA oil that Horizon adds to its milk has never been reviewed by the National Organic Standards Board or approved by the USDA,â€ explains Charlotte Vallaeys, a Farm and Food Policy Analyst with The Cornucopia Institute.

Due to its past unauthorized use, federal regulators recently issued a statement confirming that adding these synthetic oils violates the Organic Foods Production Act.Â â€œIt is therefore absolutely baffling that Dean Foods would introduce a product with synthetic DHA and have the audacity to label it organic, and itâ€™s even more disturbing that their certifier would allow this,â€ Vallaeys added.

In addition to Dean Foods, a few other food processors and several infant formula manufacturers have included the synthetic additive, manufactured by Martek Biosciences Corporation, in organic products, despite their lack of approval.

From documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Cornucopia discovered that the USDA, under the Bush Administration, had informally allowed the additives in organic foods after a backroom deal with corporate lobbyists.

After numerous appeals by The Cornucopia Institute, and an investigative article in the Washington Post that exposed corruption under the previous administration, new leadership at the USDAâ€™s National Organic Program publicly acknowledged, in April 2010, that the Bush administration had misinterpreted federal rules when allowing Martekâ€™s DHA algal oil in organics.

â€œAccording to the USDA ruling, companies should be in the process of phasing out the use of these unapproved additives in organic foods,â€ states Vallaeys. Â â€The last thing we expected was to see a marketer actually introduce a new product with these unapproved synthetic substances.Â With this move, Dean Foods seems to be stating that they do not care about organic integrity, and couldnâ€™t care less about complying with the organic law.â€

In August 2010, with the damaging coverage in the Washington Post, and the determination of its illegality by the USDA, Martek Biosciences finally petitioned the oils for approval in organic foods. Â The National Organic Standards Board, which reviews petitions and advises the USDAâ€™s National Organic Program on these matters, has yet to rule on Martekâ€™s request.

Due to the ongoing controversy, and questions about the safety and efficacy of Martekâ€™s nutritional ingredients, approval of their petition by the NOSB is far from certain.

Martek produces its patented DHA additives from microalgae species that have never previously been part of the human diet, and that are fermented in a medium including corn syrup that is likely genetically engineered (genetic engineering is banned in organics).

According to Martekâ€™s petition, the processing of their algal DHA additives includes hydrolysis with enzymes, extraction with petrochemical solvents, and other â€œnon-organic processing aidsâ€ such as â€œfood acids.â€ Petrochemical solvents, including the neurotoxic compound hexane, are also explicitly banned in organic production.

Documents obtained from the Food and Drug Administration lead some researchers and healthcare providers to believe that these synthetic ingredients, when added to infant formula, cause serious adverse reactions in some infants, including virulent diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes resulting in hospitalization.

â€œWhen they buy organic, consumers expect wholesome, real foods without synthetic ingredients or manufactured with questionable processing aids,â€ states Vallaeys. Â â€Real organic milk contains healthy fatty acids.Â It makes no sense to replace them with synthetic oil that was developed in a laboratory and produced in a factory.â€

Dean Foodsâ€™ Horizon brand is already held in low esteem by many in the organic industry because of its dependence on industrial-scale â€œfactory farmsâ€ that have historically confined their cattle rather than promoting fresh pasture intake.Â Research shows that pasturing cows leads to milk that is naturally higher in omega-3 fatty acids.

A study conducted by The Milkweed, a dairy industry newspaper, showed that Horizon brand milk tested lower in certain nutrients, including beneficial fatty acids, than almost all of its primary marketplace competitors.

In its previously published landmark report on infant formula, The Cornucopia Institute questioned claims, popular in advertising, that Martekâ€™s additives benefit brain and eye health for infants and children.Â Two scientific review studies substantiated Cornucopiaâ€™s findings on the effects of DHA supplementation, revealing that only one of 18 included peer-reviewed scientific studies showed an advantage to development.Â Both meta-analysis studies concluded that DHA does not benefit cognitive and visual development in infants.

An additional study examining DHA effects on toddler development, applicable to Horizonâ€™s new supplemented milk, found no statistically significant results on tests of mental prowess between a group of children given DHA supplements and a control group. Â The study was funded by Martek itself, and published in Clinical Pediatrics.

Yet Dean Foods suggests, in its marketing materials, that its DHA-supplemented milk benefits childrenâ€™s brain health.Â â€œEven if this DHA oil were legal for inclusion in organic products, there is virtually no research, other than a small minority of industry-funded studies, to indicate that Martekâ€™s oil benefits childrenâ€™s development,â€ Kastel added.Â â€œThis is a marketing gimmick, plain and simple.â€

Cornucopia formally asked the USDA to take immediate action on this issue to protect the public and the integrity of the organic label.

â€œIt appears that companies like Dean Foods and Martek think they are above the law,â€ states Kastel.Â â€œItâ€™s time for the USDA to show that the organic regulations and standards are not a matter of interpretation by powerful corporations, but mean something and must be followed by everyone in the organic community.â€

MORE:

Certifier

Dean Foodsâ€™ Horizon milk product line is certified organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI), San Diego, California.Â Although implicated in a number of other improper decisions, the accredited certifier has yet to be sanctioned by the USDA.Â QAI is the largest certifier serving corporate agribusinesses that have invested in organics.

Dr. Alan Greene
In its product launch, Dean Foodsâ€™ Horizon spokesman, Dr. Alan Greene, stated, â€œOrganic milk fortified with DHA is a great option for families looking to incorporate nutritious products in their diets with the proven benefits of DHA, including those for heart, brain and eye health,â€ despite the obvious lack of scientific evidence to back up his statement.Â [Emphasis added]

â€œWe have had it with The Good Doctor,â€ said Cornucopiaâ€™s Kastel.

â€œAt the time, we felt it was unconscionable for someone who had developed his personal brand name, Dr. Greene, by promoting organics, to recommend dairy products containing conventional fruits and vegetables that have been proven to have some of the highest levels of pesticide residue contamination,â€ Kastel added.Â â€œThese products were targeted to developing children, who are most vulnerable to the deleterious impacts of pesticide residues.Â It was evidence that Dr. Greene was willing to sell his endorsement to the highest bidder, regardless of its virtues.â€

Greene, author of Feeding Baby Green, and the proprietor of a popular advertising-supported pediatrics website, also rankled some organic farmers when he appeared, in 2009, as the keynote speaker at the countryâ€™s largest organic confab, the Upper Midwest Organic Farmers Conference in Wisconsin.Â When he made his speech before organic stakeholders, Greene was working as an undisclosed paid spokesperson for Dean/Horizon, a company embroiled in controversy for allegedly operating illegal factory farms, milking thousands of cows each.

â€œWhat really upset some people is that Greene spoke without declaring his financial relationship with Dean, a $12 billion dairy goliath, long known as a bad actor in the conventional and organic dairy communities,â€ Kastel said.

The Cornucopia Institute stated it is preparing an ethics complaint against Greene for misrepresenting the body of literature that, the Institute claims, clearly lacks any scientific basis for the marketing claims he is helping his corporate benefactor articulate in the marketplace.

â€œThis kind of questionable behavior, and overt conflicts of interest, has been condemned in the pharmaceutical industry when physicians partner with companies for promotions,â€ Kastel stated.Â â€œThe organic industry is successful because it was built by farmers and consumers partnering in an ethical, values-based approach to food production.Â We will not tolerate these antics by someone, by virtue of a medical degree, looking to cash in on the goodwill and trust of the organic consumer.â€

Organic Trade Association

In addition to the ethical concerns about Dr. Greeneâ€™s position as a spokesperson for Dean/Horizon, Cornucopia is calling on the Organic Trade Association (OTA) to remove Dean Foodsâ€™ representative, Ms. Kelly Shea, who is Deanâ€™s Vice President of Industry Relations and Organic Stewardship, from the OTA board of directors.

â€œFor too long the OTA, an organic industry trade and lobby group, has looked the other way when their powerful members have willfully violated federal law,â€ Kastel attested.Â â€œWe call on them now to respond forcefully to the apparent willful violations of law by Dean Foods by disassociating themselves with the company.â€

Subsequent to a 2007 USDA finding that Aurora Dairy, another organic factory farm operator, which supplies private-label milk to major supermarket chains such as Wal-Mart and Costco, had â€œwillfullyâ€ violated 14 tenets of the organic law, Auroraâ€™s president Mark Retzloff was elected as chairman of the OTAâ€™s research arm, The Organic Center.

The Cornucopia Institute said in its letter, â€œItâ€™s time that the Organic Trade Association recognizes its responsibility to take action against its membership when they jeopardize the reputation and integrity of the organic label.â€

In a 12 month study of 780 children in Australia and Indonesia, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers assessed the effects of adding a specific vitamin and mineral mix to a daily drink.
In Australia, children that received the daily drink with the added vitamin and mineral mix performed significantly better on mental performance tests than children in a control group that received the drink without added nutrients. In Indonesia a similar trend was observed, but only in the girls.
This study confirms that nutrition can positively influence cognitive development in schoolchildren, even in western children who are well-fed.

The scientists studied 396 well-nourished children in Australia and 384 poorly nourished children in Indonesia. In each country, the children were randomly allocated to one of four groups, receiving a drink with either a mix of micronutrients (iron, zinc, folate and vitamins A, B-6, B-12 and C) or with fish-oil (DHA and EPA), or with both added, or with nothing added (placebo).

After twelve months, children in Australia who received the drink with the nutrient mix showed higher blood levels of these micronutrients, which means that their bodies were taking up the nutrients. In addition, they performed significantly better on tests measuring their learning and memory capabilities compared to children in the other groups. A similar trend was observed in Indonesia, but only in the girls. The addition of fish oil to the fortified drink did not conclusively show any additional effects on cognition.

This study adds to the mounting evidence that nutrition plays an important role in mental development in children. Previously, deficiencies in iron and iodine have been linked to impaired cognitive development in young children; there is also emerging evidence that deficiencies in zinc, folate and vitamin B12 compromise mental development in children. More recently, fish oils (EPA, DHA) have also been linked to child cognitive development.

Most studies to date have focused on deficiencies in single nutrients in young age groups. Yet the brain continues to grow and develop during childhood and adolescence. Little is known about the role of nutrition for mental development after the age of 2, nor have many studies looked at the effect of offering a mix of nutrients. Until this study, there were very few randomized controlled intervention studies assessing the impact of a multiple-micronutrient intervention on cognitive function in schoolchildren.

This study confirms that nutrition can positively influence cognitive development in schoolchildren, even in children who are well-fed. The researchers suggest that this finding could be relevant across the western world.
The investigators recommend further research to investigate the exact role of DHA and EPA in healthy school-aged children. Another research focus is the further optimization of cognitive development tests with respect to their validity and sensitivity across cultures. The scientists suggest that the smaller effects of the vitamins and minerals in Indonesia could be a result of a lower sensitivity of the cognitive tests in that country.

This study was performed by the NEMO study group (Nutrition Enhancement for Mental Optimization), which consists of the Unilever Food and Health Research Institute (Vlaardingen, The Netherlands); CSIRO, Human Nutrition (Adelaide, Australia) and the SEAMEO-TROPMED Regional Center for Community Nutrition, University of Indonesia (Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia).

In case you’ve been wondering about exactly what ‘organic’ means, here’s a little introduction to some of the back story drama taking place for producers, manufacturers and regulators. Thanks to the Natural Foods Merchandiser for keeping up on this story.

Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a cosigner of the petition, added: â€œIn the past decade or so, research on omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA in particular, has evolved to suggest we may be facing a serious public health problem. Most Americans appear to be falling short in their consumption of EPA and DHA, which studies show are important for cardiovascular health and brain development. Taking a simple EPA and DHA-containing product could help fill the nutrition gaps, but until DRIs are established both policy makers and consumers have no way of knowing what the target intakes should be and by how much they’re falling short.â€